Stripped Down To The Bone
by Georgi Pendragon
Summary: Merlin knows theres more to Arthur than just the crown but his faith in the prince is tested. Trapped between his duty to his father and his duty to his heart. "Let me see you stripped down to the bone." Arthur/Merlin. Slash.
1. The Prince and his servant

So uhh.. hai guys?

This Arthur/Merlin fic is dedicated to Jordi Phoenix who pestered me until I wrote it. Not that I needed much persuading. The slash is just too tempting. Sadly I dont own Merlin [or Arthur for that matter] although I wish I did =)

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Arthur Pendragon. Crown Prince of Camelot. Next in line to be king. Tournament champion. He was known by so many great things, but surely that couldn't be all there was? Just imposing titles that didn't really mean anything. Only one man saw past the crown and the sword. One man who was there day in and day out and knew that there was more to Arthur than most people thought. But this man was only a servant, his word didn't count for anything. Yet Merlin would watch Arthur everyday and he knew better than anyone that Arthur was more than just a crowned prince.

"Merlin! Stop daydreaming and finish polishing my boots!"

Of course, sometimes he was just a prat.

Merlin scowled as best he could at the imposing figure looming over him before returning to the polishing of the already shiny boots. Arthur grinned to himself before realising he was staring at the raven haired boy sat in front of him and quickly hurried away to find something to do. For a while, the pair sat in silence; Arthur sitting in his chair and Merlin sitting on the floor with the polish and boots. Arthur contented himself with gazing into the crackling flames of the fireplace and Merlin sneakily looked up at him; the glow of the fire on Arthur's skin was intoxicating. For a moment, Arthur's blue eyes looked golden. The silence was almost too much for Merlin who felt himself sinking into unwanted thoughts, most of which centred on the prince sitting only a few feet away from him with a warm glow on his skin…

Arthur frowned and turned to his servant.

"Are you humming?" he asked. Merlin nodded and smiled but didn't look up as he continued to hum. Arthur intended to make a joke about how tuneless Merlin was until he found that he couldn't; the music coming from the boy's lips was in fact very tune_ful_. The prince found himself mesmerised for a while at the unexpected quality of Merlin's humming. It irritated him, _he _wanted to be the mesmerising one. Before he could start sulking too much, Arthur pushed himself to his feet.

"Come on, Merlin, I want to go hunting," he declared. Merlin smiled at his master and set down the boots.

"Which weapons would you like to kill innocent animals with today?" he teased, getting to his feet. Arthur rolled his eyes at Merlin's usual lack of politeness.

"Surprise me," he drawled before waving Merlin from the room. Not that it was a difficult thing to do, Merlin always surprised him.

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Review? Please? It makes me feel special =)


	2. When you go down to the woods today

Again with the not owning. I do, however, own the first series of Merlin on DVD. I'm that cool.

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In truth, Merlin hated these hunting trips. He'd accepted that animals had to be killed for food, but murdering them just because you were bored? It really wasn't something Merlin could get used to happily, but it was something Arthur liked doing so Merlin at least tried to look like he was enjoying himself. Although this often infuriated Arthur who found himself distracted by Merlin calling after him excitedly about something pretty he'd found, and consequently scaring away whatever animal Arthur had been about to kill.

This time, Merlin was not excited about something he'd seen; there was a hint of panic in his voice as he called for Arthur. But Arthur wasn't any less annoyed.

"What?!" he hissed back when his quarry managed to escape from him thanks to Merlin's distraction. When Merlin didn't reply, the prince looked up and saw his friend crouched awkwardly in the bushes, his back to him. A little way in front of Merlin were a ground of blindfolded and bound people being lead deeper in the forest by hooded executioners. As soon as the people disappeared from view, the screaming began. Arthur sprang forwards, knowing exactly what Merlin was thinking.

"Merlin, come on," he hissed, grabbing the younger man by the arm and pulling him away. "It's too dangerous."

"There's got to be a way, Arthur," Merlin said, pulling away so forcefully his momentum almost caused him to fall. Arthur refused to let go. He dragged Merlin back through the safety of the trees. The fear in the young man's eyes broke his heart. He knew what they were going to find, and still he was desperate to get over there and help people who were already dead. The size of his heart and its ability to suffer for others spoke volumes about the usually flippant servant. Arthur grabbed him and held him.

"There's nothing we can do," he said, hating himself for saying it even though he knew it was the truth.

Merlin said nothing.

He didn't need to.

There were times when words could never be enough. He held on tight to Arthur.

Merlin didn't believe him.

Arthur didn't like this. He went through the castle with a face like thunder to find out exactly what had happened. Merlin, still shocked about the brutality he had been witness too and irritated at the fact that the crowned prince of Camelot hadn't done anything to stop it, went and sulked with Gaius.

"They just took them into the forest and killed them. I can still hear them screaming. It was horrible. But Arthur did nothing, absolutely nothing!" ranted Merlin, still shaking slightly from the fear. After the incident, Arthur had lead Merlin back to the castle at an impossible pace, his fingers keeping tight hold of Merlin's wrist and didn't complain once about catching Merlin every time he stumbled trying to keep up with Arthur's stride. As soon as they'd got within the castle walls, Arthur had released Merlin and went storming off. Merlin guessed he was annoyed at him for ruining the hunt; even though it wasn't his fault that a group of murderers happened to be out killing people.

"Well he stopped you from blundering in and getting yourself killed," said Gaius, getting up from the table and over to his work. Merlin frowned, but the old man had a point. It didn't stop him sulking though. Arthur was a prince, he could've done _something_ to stop them. Anything! But no, the great crowned prince of Camelot had crouched in the undergrowth and held back Merlin, a sorcerer who was sure he could've done something to help.

"If you're thinking about using your magic so openly, I suggest you think otherwise," chided Gaius.

"I wasn't," defended Merlin.

"Good because I hate to tell you this but those people you saw being taken into the forest were probably suspected of magic, so I'd be very careful if I were you," Gaius warned. A shiver went down Merlin's spine. Sometimes he forgot how unwelcome magic was in Camelot. Merlin went into a deeper sulk.

"It's so ridiculous," he mumbled. Gaius put his hand on the young man's shoulder.

"I know, Merlin, but there's not a lot we can do about it whilst Uther is king."

Merlin was suddenly reminded by the Dragon's words. Whilst Uther was alive, Arthur would not be king and magic would not be returned to the lands of Albion. Another shiver went through Merlin. Gaius patted his shoulder and moved away to his workbench.

"At least you've found a use for yours," he reminded. "Some sorcerers aren't so lucky and those are the ones who get caught."

Merlin nodded and pushed himself to his feet. Excusing himself, he went off to find Arthur and make sure the prince wasn't in a mood with him.

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A moody Arthur, well theres a surprise. =D

Review maybe? x x


	3. Waiting

Arthur was locked in a heated argument with his father who was, infuriatingly, not seeing why the murder of a group of villagers in the middle of the forest was such a bad thing.

"Father, I…" started Arthur.

"You know magic will not be tolerated in my kingdom. They committed a crime therefore they had to be punished." This was the same reason Uther had repeated over and over again and Arthur was inches away from throwing something at his head.

"I know that! What I'm saying is Merlin and I were in that forest, who knows who else was in there! It's not a pleasant thing to…" again he didn't get to finish his sentence.

"Arthur you should be used to it by now," said Uther, exasperatingly. Arthur really wanted to slap his father.

"Yes, I am! But Merlin is not and he…" this lack of ability to finish sentences was getting irritating.

"He is your servant, Arthur! That's all, just a mere servant boy, his feelings don't…"

"Don't say they don't matter!" shouted Arthur before he could stop himself. Silence. Father and son stared at each other. Arthur mentally cursing himself for his outburst and Uther figuring out why Arthur cared so much. Arthur was the first to break eye contact. He couldn't have Uther finding out whyhe really did care. Without saying anything, the prince swept from the room, fuming. He pushed open the doors with such force that he made Merlin, who was stood nervously on the other side, jump out of his skin.

"Arthur," he stammered. Arthur looked at him for a moment, almost studying him. Merlin held his gaze and also held his breath. Surprised at Merlin holding his stare, Arthur looked away and continued walking in his 'I-Am-Pissed-Off' way. Looking into the throne room, Merlin saw Uther looking at him, almost glaring. Wondering if he should be worried, Merlin hurried off after Arthur.

Staring into the flames had a calming effect on the prince of Camelot. He could hear Merlin hovering outside the room but he wasn't ready to call him in; not yet. Arthur sighed and sank lower in the chair. What was it about Merlin? There was just something about the boy that both irritated and intrigued Arthur. All mystery aside, Merlin was truly the closest friend Arthur had ever had, and that friendship seemed to be getting him into a lot of trouble with his father. That was why he didn't want Merlin in the room right that second. He wanted to choose without Merlin's presence influencing him. Did he continue to irritate his father by remaining close friends with Merlin? Or did he step back and just be prince of Camelot like his father wanted? The latter seemed really lonely. At least the 'something about Merlin' thing gave him something to think about. Arthur knew there really wasn't a choice to be made.

Unaware of what his master and friend was thinking about, Merlin stood nervously the other side of the door. Usually he would've announced himself by just wandering into the room and grinning at Arthur, but doing so didn't feel like a good idea right now. So he waited.

"Merlin?"

Turning around, Merlin saw Gwen walking towards him with an armful of flowers, most probably for the Lady Morgana.

"Hullo, Gwen," he said, smiling. Gwen smiled back but then frowned in confusion again.

"What are you standing about outside Arthur's door for?" she asked. Merlin avoided her eyes.

"I uh… I'm waiting," he replied, which wasn't far from the truth. He was waiting to see if Arthur still wanted him around. Gwen smiled sympathetically. She'd obviously understood what he really meant.

"I'm sure you wont be waiting long," she said before continuing on her way. Merlin hoped she was right. Arthur was more than just his master, he was his friend and, if he listened to his heart, maybe something more.

"Merlin?"

Merlin's heart shot up as he heard Arthur call his name from inside the room. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the door and stepped inside. Arthur was sitting by the fire, his eyes on Merlin. The look on his face was almost like relief. Merlin smiled uneasily.

"So, uh… anything you want?" he asked. Arthur laughed and Merlin wondered if he had been drinking. Noticing the confusion on his friend's face, Arthur smiled gently and shook his head.

"Not tonight, Merlin," he said. "Unless you would like to take a walk with me." This was probably an incredibly bad idea but Arthur didn't really care. Merlin looked a bit surprised but nodded nonetheless.

"Yeah, okay," he agreed. Arthur smiled and got to his feet. Noticing the weather outside, Merlin went to get a jacket out of the wardrobe for Arthur.

"What about you?" Arthur asked, taking the leather jacket from Merlin and slipping it over his shoulders.

"I've got this," replied Merlin, pointing to his scarf. Arthur accepted it and they left the room.

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*steals Merlin's scarf*. Yeah.. now what you gonna do?! x x


	4. Through the streets of Camelot

It was easy to say Arthur had never done anything like this. He was just walking through Camelot with Merlin at his side. Yeah, he'd marched through Camelot with his knights but never just walked alongside the villagers with his servant. He was surprised at how many people said hello to Merlin as he passed, and he always replied. Arthur hadn't realised how well liked Merlin was. Then a group of children came running up to Merlin, hugging his knees and almost knocking him backwards. Arthur stood aside, watching Merlin with a smile on his face. The youngest child was probably only about one and Merlin scooped her up in his arms, laughing as she patted his nose. Some of the children were looking nervously up at Arthur, the way he was dressed obviously told them that he was important but he didn't think they knew who he was. Merlin saw the uncomfortable look on Arthur's face and decided to help. He crouched down amongst the children and pointed up at Arthur.

"Do you know who that is?" he asked the children. They shook their heads, not knowing who he was because they'd never seen him out of armour before.

"That's Prince Arthur," Merlin told them. His words were followed by a collective gasp. One of the older girls, possibly about five, plucked up the courage to step towards Arthur. Merlin watched as Arthur slowly crouched down in front of the little girl, allowing her to come closer. She reached out with her hands and touched his face. Arthur smiled at her and she hugged him. Then all the other children stepped forwards, touching his clothes and seeking hugs. Even the tiny girl in Merlin's arms reached out to the Prince. Soon, Arthur found himself sitting on the floor in the middle of the street with two children on his lap and the others crowded around him, asking him questions.

"Where's your crown?" one of them asked.

"Its in my castle in a very special place," replied Arthur, instinctively changing his tone so he didn't sound like he was ordering the children around or snapping at them. His gentle tone allowed for more questions.

"Is it pretty?" the girl on his lap asked, evidently imagining the crown.

"Yes it's very pretty and sparkly." Merlin wondered if Arthur was thinking of bringing the crown down to the village to show the children. Right now he wouldn't be surprised.

"Is Merlin your best friend?" asked the two girls sitting arm in arm. Arthur smiled.

"Yes. The best friend in the whole of Camelot," he answered, his gentle tone now had a hint of seriousness in it. Merlin felt himself blush slightly when Arthur and all the children looked at him, then the wizard smiled. So did Arthur and something went through the children's minds which made them all giggle. Then Merlin looked up at the sky.

"Isn't it time you were in bed?" he asked. The children groaned and clung to Arthur. The prince suddenly realised that the parents of the children, along with other villagers, had made a circle around him, Merlin and the children. And they were all smiling. Arthur felt like these people had accepted him not only as their prince but as one of them. For the love of Camelot indeed.

And Merlin was grinning.

Carefully, Arthur got to his feet. He had one sleeping child cradled in his strong arms and he kissed her on the forehead. The mother of the child stepped forwards and smiled gratefully as Arthur passed the girl to her.

"God bless you," said the mother and Arthur was taken aback at the warmth in her words. He smiled at her and looked back at Merlin who was disentangling himself from many children's arms.

"Aw come on, Ewan, we went through this last time," said Merlin, almost laughing as he eased his arm out of the little boy's grip.

"Do you have to go?" Ewan whined. Merlin nodded and ruffled the little boy's hair.

"Sorry. Maybe we'll come back soon?" he looked up at Arthur who nodded without hesitating. He'd suddenly found an alternative hobby to hunting. If he was going to be king of Camelot, he was going to be a better king than his father and he was going to get to know his people.

Eventually all the children had been taken inside to bed and Merlin was able to get up off the floor without being dragged back down again. Arthur offered him his hand. Merlin took it and Arthur helped him up.

"Are we really coming back soon?" Merlin asked. Arthur smiled at him.

"Of course we are!" he replied, slipping his arm around Merlin's shoulders. Merlin grinned and stepped forwards to continue their walk.

"Would you like some tea?"

Arthur and Merlin turned around to see the mother of the sleeping child stood in the doorway of her house. Merlin's grin widened. Seeing the look of delight on his friend's face, there was no way that Arthur was going to refuse. Plus he liked the idea of his people wanting to have tea with him without wanting to sleep with him afterwards. That got a little degrading after a while.

"We'd love some," replied Arthur, following the woman into the house with Merlin close behind. She was fussing over a simple stove in the corner and monitored Arthur and Merlin to sit down at the table. Merlin was surprised that Arthur didn't even make a face about the conditions he was going to eat in. Before tonight, Merlin knew Prince Arthur would've definitely turned his nose up at all this. Simple magic had done it but it had been nothing to do with Merlin. It was all the children. The love and laughter of a child was the most simplest of all magic and it had definitely won Arthur over.

"Where is your husband?" asked Arthur, noticing the woman was the only person in the house except the sleeping child.

"Teddy is out with his father, Sir Pellinore and the other knights tonight," the woman replied. Merlin looked surprised that Arthur didn't know that and so did Arthur.

"I'm sorry… I didn't know Sir Pellinore had a family," apologised Arthur, slightly irritated at his lack of knowledge about his own knights. It seemed he'd been too wrapped up in his own life.

"It's okay, Sire, you are prince of Camelot after all. I'm sure you've got so much more important things to worry about," she said kindly. For Arthur this was no excuse. Merlin merely smiled and began talking to Teddy's wife, whose name they found was Amy, about simple things like had Gwen been down to see her about a new dress for Mary [the sleeping child] for her birthday. Merlin knew more about Arthur's 'subjects' than Arthur did. But then Morgana was right, Merlin was a lover. He cared about other people far more than himself, as he'd demonstrated in the times he'd saved Arthur's life.

Amy was a very entertaining woman and the three of them had a wonderful time, sitting, drinking, talking and laughing. They had been laughing at something when Merlin fell off his stool which made them laugh even more. But now it was time to go.

"Thank you," said Arthur as he kissed her hand before leaving. Merlin, still rubbing his tail bone, thanked her in a less gentlemanly way as he staggered out of the house.

"Come back soon," Amy called after them. When they promised they would, she closed the door and disappeared back inside the warmth. It had gotten very late and Arthur was thankful for the jacket Merlin had thought to bring.

"What an unusual day," mused Arthur. Merlin grinned.

"Indeed, I would've never thought I'd see Arthur Pendragon allowing children to climb all over him," he laughed. Arthur pretended to hit him but he was smiling too.

"Well, Merlin, I guess things are going to be a bit different now," he said. Merlin hadn't stopped smiling all evening.

"In what way?"

"Well for starters my father is going to have to accept more people visiting the castle for lunch and so on. Secondly, I'm going to have to be with my _friend_ more often," he said, elbowing Merlin playfully.

"_Best_ friend," corrected Merlin, imitating a child. Arthur laughed and Merlin joined in before his teeth started to chatter from the cold. Arthur looked at him and tugged at his scarf.

"A scarf, Merlin, is not as good as a jacket. Come here," he said as he pulled Merlin closer, wrapping a leather clad arm around Merlin's skinny body. As they approached the castle, their smiles faded. They were greeted by four guards and Merlin doubted it was a welcoming party.

"King Uther demands for you to see him in the grand hall. Just, the prince," the guard added as Merlin tried to step forwards with Arthur. Unwillingly, Arthur removed his arm from Merlin and allowed himself to be lead away.

"You are to be taken to the cells," the second guard directed at Merlin. Arthur spun round and tried to get back to Merlin.

"Why?" both Merlin and Arthur demanded at the same time.

"He hasn't done anything wrong!" snapped Arthur, pulling against the guards that were trying to drag him into the castle. The other guards ignored him and grabbed Merlin by the arms, pulling him in the other direction.

"Merlin!"

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The guards have always got to ruin it.

Reviews are much appreciated. How else will I know how awesome I am.... I mean... how awesome Merlin/Arthur is... =D x x


	5. Talk of angels

Arthur hated everyone between him and Merlin.

Even Gwen and Morgana who were stood by the door with Gaius. Arthur hated them as well. They were closer to Merlin but were doing nothing to help him. But he especially hated the man sitting in the throne at the end of the room.

"Now Arthur, why weren't you here with me for dinner this evening?" Uther asked.

"I was out," stated Arthur. If he was being separated from Merlin he wasn't going to be polite about it.

"Out where?" asked Uther.

"In Camelot."

"Why?"

"Because I felt like it."

Morgana was frowning at Uther but the king didn't notice, he was too busy glaring at his son. Gaius was looking around for Merlin but the young man wasn't in the court. Arthur answered his unasked question.

"What've you done with Merlin? Why did you lock him up, he's done nothing wrong!" Arthur was rapidly losing his temper. Gwen gasped and Gaius looked alarmed. Merlin was locked up? Why?

"Because you need to learn, Arthur!" shouted Uther. Arthur's temper visibly vanished.

"Learn what? I'm not a child! That's what you're doing, you're treating me like a child. I misbehave so you take away my favourite toy. Yeah, fine, do that. But you've got something wrong, Merlin is not a toy! He's a person just like the rest of us. A much better person than the rest of us…" Arthur fell silent, thinking of all the times Merlin had saved him. He'd never asked for anything in return. Before they were even friends, Merlin had pulled him out of the path of a dagger. Merlin had drunk poison for him. Arthur looked into his father's dark eyes.

"Father, you said I'd need a guardian angel on my quest to become king. You were right and I believe Merlin is that angel." The sincerity in his voice made tears fall down Morgana and Gwen's cheeks. They felt so much love for Arthur at that moment and they believed like he did that Merlin was an angel. He'd changed a self centred prat into a caring young man. A man fit to be a King of Camelot, not just a prince. Uther sighed.

"You feel this strongly about this…boy?" he asked, not wanting to call Merlin an angel like everyone else was willing to do. Arthur nodded.

"Yes I do, father."

Silence.

Everyone in the room held their breath.

Uther sighed.

"I see you are not the only one," he growled, gesturing to Morgana, Gwen and Gaius. Arthur turned to them and they were surprised to see his eyes glistening. He smiled at each of them before turning back to his father.

"Please."

Uther took a long hard look at his son. Arthur held his stare.

"Oh very well. Release the boy and bring him to me. Don't argue, Arthur, or I will not release him at all," snapped Uther. Arthur bowed to him and then swept from the room, the three others not far behind him. Uther sank into his throne and rubbed his temples. The friendship between his son and this servant boy was either going to be very good for Camelot, or very bad for them all.

Arthur was running.

He'd swept through the castle at such a pace it was impossible for the others to keep up. Only one thing mattered to Arthur and that was getting Merlin out before his friend gave up on him. His fast pace almost betrayed him on the stairs but he caught himself and skidded to a stop in front of Merlin's cell. The boy was curled up against the stone wall on the other side of the cell with his head in his hands.

"Merlin?"

At the sound of his name, Merlin looked up. When he saw Arthur unlocking the door, his heart leapt.

"Arthur?" he asked, unable to believe what was happening. Arthur pulled open the door and gestured for Merlin to leave the cell.

"My father allowed me to release you, after some persuasion," explained the prince, putting the keys back into his pocket. Overwhelmed with gratitude, Merlin really wanted to hug Arthur but as he saw Gwen and Morgana watching, he decided against it.

"Thank you," he breathed instead. But Arthur didn't look completely happy. "What is it?" Merlin asked.

"My father wants to see you. Now," the prince replied, frowning slightly. Merlin's heart kicked up a notch and he panicked.

"Don't worry, Merlin, we wont let anything happen to you," came Morgana's voice from the stairs. Merlin smiled at her but still worried about what the king was going to do to him. Then he felt Arthur's hand on the small of his back and he looked up into the prince's blue eyes.

"Morgana's right. We wont let him hurt you," he said, looking back into Merlin's eyes. Again, Merlin had the insatiable urge to hug Arthur tightly but once again he fought it. _Maybe later,_ he thought. _When not so many people are watching. _

Merlin stood before the king, his knees shaking. Uther was yet to speak, he was watching the way his son looked at Merlin and the protective stance he had taken when he'd brought Merlin in. Uther was in no doubt that Arthur would spring to Merlin's defence if anyone in the court raised a finger to the boy. The king felt a pang of jealousy.

Merlin's knees stopped shaking the instant he caught Arthur's eye. The prince looked ready to pounce on anyone who threatened Merlin and that calmed the sorcerer a great deal in the face of the king. When Uther did speak, however, Merlin flinched.

"It would seem, servant, that some members of this court and kingdom are more loyal to you than me."

"Sire, I didn't mean for them…" stuttered Merlin hurriedly.

"Silence. It seems they respect you a great deal and look upon you with wonderment and trust. My son was even so bold as to call you an angel."

At this, Merlin's cheeks flushed pink. The urge to hug Arthur had now gone, but it had been replaced with an even stronger temptation to kiss him full on the lips.

"I hope you are honoured by that statement," drawled Uther.

It took Merlin a while to remember how to speak.

"Y, yes my Lord! I am honoured and very, very pleased to hear such things," said Merlin, tripping over his words in surprise. He glanced sideways at Arthur and saw the prince was also blushing slightly, finding the floor very interesting. The sight made Merlin want to laugh just as Gwen and Morgana were quietly giggling in the corner and Gaius was smiling knowingly. Turning his face back to Uther, the king was surprised to see a smile playing on Merlin's lips.

"You have been named Arthur's guardian angel. Do you accept this unofficial title?"

"Yes, yes I accept it," said Merlin, breathless with surprise.

"Do you vow to protect him on his journey to become king, even if he requires that which is beyond the power of a manservant?"

_Don__'t I do that already? _thought Merlin, making himself smile even more.

"I vow to do everything in my power to protect Prince Arthur against all which tries to harm him in any way, within these castle walls as well as outside them." _That means against you as well you unfair pig. _Merlin added mentally. Arthur coughed self consciously, signalling that this was all getting a bit personal and touchy-feely. King Uther sighed.

"Then I release you to do as you must to protect the heir to the throne of Camelot," he finished. Merlin breathed a sigh of relief and bowed to the king before turning and grinning at Arthur. The blackmail potential was fantastic.

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Perfect Arthur/Merlin song = 'Your Guardian Angel' - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

Go listen. Now. But please review first =) x x


	6. It was going so well

"Do I get to wear wings and a halo?"

"Shut up, Merlin."

"I'm not wearing a dress or playing a harp though, that's going a bit too far."

"Shut up, Merlin."

"And I'm definitely not speaking like: 'For lo, I am the angel Merlin'."

"Merlin!"

Merlin grinned at Arthur who was looking rather self-conscious and irritated, standing in front of the fire and not looking at his friend.

"That's _Angel_ Merlin to you," teased Merlin who, although was incredibly honoured and shocked at what Arthur had said about him, couldn't help but find it very amusing. Arthur glared at him but Merlin kept smiling.

"Its not funny, _Merlin,_" Arthur growled.

"But you did mean it though, didn't you?" There was just a hint of uncertainty in Merlin's question but it was enough to soften Arthur's expression.

"Of course I did," he said strongly. Merlin grinned widely and, before the prince knew it, had his arms wrapped around Arthur. For a moment Arthur froze, not knowing quite how to respond. He knew this was wrong on so many levels but suddenly, it didn't matter. That was when he curled his arms around Merlin.

"Thank you," Merlin breathed in his ear, tickling Arthur's skin. Arthur didn't reply. He didn't trust himself to speak. Standing in Merlin's embrace he wanted to tell him everything about how he felt and how he was struggling under the pressure from his father. He wanted to tell him so badly but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"You can let go of me now," teased Merlin and Arthur released him immediately before noticing that Merlin was laughing. Cheeky.

"So… what do you want to do today?"

Again the pair of them found themselves wandering through Camelot but this time people greeted Arthur just was warmly as they greeted Merlin. Again Merlin was grinning like an idiot as if some phase of his master plan was coming together but Arthur didn't mind being seen with him one bit. In fact, he rather liked it. But one thing made this trip very different from the last.

When they reached the outskirts of the forest, they saw a young child sat against a tree apparently waving his arms in the air randomly. Arthur started forwards, wanting to see what the child was doing and maybe join in his little game but Merlin didn't move. His skin tingled and there was a strange smell in the air.

_Magic. _

Looking again at the child, Merlin realised he was making rocks move through the air with his hands but without touching them. Telekinesis. He jumped forwards and grabbed Arthur's arm.

"Arthur, no…" he started, not quite knowing what reason he was going to invent to stop Arthur from seeing the boy. The prince turned to look at Merlin with raised eyebrows.

"What?" he asked. When Merlin couldn't come up with an adequate reason for gripping his arm, Arthur pulled himself out of Merlin's grip and carried on towards the boy. Merlin held his breath. This would not end well. It didn't take long for Arthur to realise the boy was not touching the flying objects. The little boy turned round and one of the rocks landed at Arthur's feet.

"Play!" cried the child, giggling. Arthur stared open mouthed at him, not quite understanding what he was seeing. He raised his arm and suddenly Merlin was in front of him.

"Don't hurt him, Arthur!" he begged, trying to catch Arthur's arms and pin them to his side. He wasn't having much luck.

"He's using magic!" accused Arthur, glaring over Merlin's shoulder.

"I know but he's just a child! Its not his fault, just come away Arthur!" cried Merlin, trying to drag the prince away but Arthur was hard to move.

"His family must've taught him. A family of sorcerers here in Camelot! My father would…" but Arthur was interrupted by another stone landing at his feet.

"Play!" protested the child again. Merlin was almost crying in desperation.

"Please, Arthur. He doesn't understand, he just thinks it's a game! He thinks everyone can do it, its not his fault. Please, Arthur don't hurt him!" Once again Merlin tried to turn Arthur away from the magic but Arthur wouldn't budge. He tried to step towards the boy but found Merlin pushing him back with all the strength he had.

"Get out of my way, Merlin!" the prince shouted, raising his arm again and bringing it sharply across Merlin's face.

Silence.

Merlin fell backwards, the force of Arthur's backhanded slap knocked him to the ground inches away from where the child was playing. Neither of them could believe what Arthur had just done. Merlin's cheek was bleeding from where Arthur's rings had cut his skin. Without looking at Arthur, Merlin scrambled over to the boy and pulled him into his arms showing that to kill the young boy Arthur would have to kill Merlin first. Arthur retreated, unable to speak and turned to walk swiftly back to the castle, his cloak billowing behind him, leaving Merlin sitting by the tree with the telekinetic boy.

Before leaving, Merlin made sure the boy understood that he couldn't play games whilst other people were around. All the way back up to the castle, Merlin had tears in his eyes from the stinging pain in his cheek and the even worse pain in his heart. When he finally reached his room he found Gaius waiting nervously.

"Merlin? Are you alright? Arthur returned with a face like thunder and his voice shocked even the Lady Morgana. What did you do?" the old man asked. Merlin was so close to losing his temper.

"I didn't do anything! Everything was fine and perfect until we found a boy by the forest using telekinesis. And Arthur saw him, he was going to kill him Gaius! He's just a child and Arthur was going to kill him… I couldn't let him do that," Merlin sank onto a stool and wiped the blood from his skin. "I thought I knew Arthur, but now I'm not so sure." Gaius listened to Merlin's pain as he tended to the wound on his cheek, at a loss for words from Merlin's obvious feelings for Arthur.

"Merlin, please try to realise that Arthur's been brought up to view all magic as evil. The fact that magic can be used for good has not been allowed to cross his mind thanks to Uther. Arthur was only doing what he thought was the right thing. I don't think he meant to hurt you, Merlin, I don't think he'd ever do that."

Even though there was truth in Gaius's words, Merlin didn't want to hear it. The day had been going so that night Arthur had called him an angel but now this. It was already dark, Merlin had tried to stay away from the castle for as long as possible so he didn't have to see Arthur. Now he shut himself in his room and hid his stinging face in his pillow. All he could think about was the look on Arthur's face when he saw the child, imagining himself in the child's place. Imagining Arthur was looking at him with the same venom and hate that he'd looked at the child. It hurt. It hurt far more than the physical pain when Arthur had hit him. Merlin could feel his heart breaking. Salty tears snaked down his cheeks as he slowly fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

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Poor Merlin =(

Listened to that song yet? x x


	7. Morgana and Gwen to the rescue

Thank you to all you wonderful people who reviewed. I uhh... love you? And of course all of you who've put up with Arthur and Merlin this far =)

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_I'm not a perfect person. _

The prince of Camelot was reduced to just being that. Just the prince. That was all he was without Merlin. No matter how much he tried to believe that he should be angry at Merlin for defending a sorcerer, he couldn't forgive himself for hurting him. He'd hit Merlin so hard he'd fallen to the ground. Anger boiled in Arthur's veins but it wasn't anger at Merlin, it was anger at _himself._ How could he have done that? Over what? A young child performing magic? Suddenly the threat of magic paled into insignificance. Nothing could compare to the fact he had _hurt_ Merlin.

Merlin still came to his chambers, still cleaned, still tidied, but he didn't talk. There were no playful insults, no banter, no anything. Just silence and good manners. Soon, Arthur couldn't stand to be in the same room as Merlin because the silence hurt too much.

Storming down the corridor in another of his foul moods, Arthur swept past Morgana and Gwen who noticed the moody look on his face.

"What do you thinks up with Arthur?" Morgana asked her maid.

"I don't know, my Lady. He's always in a foul temper and Merlin always looks like he's about to cry. I don't think I've seen either of them smile for almost three days," she said. Morgana smiled at her, she noticed everything. With her observance and Morgana's cunning, they'd have the boys back together in no time. So they followed Arthur to his chambers and waited. From inside the room, they could hear the sounds of fists hitting wood and things clattering to the floor amongst shouts of pain and anger. Morgana looked at Gwen in alarm who returned the glance with panic. They had never known Arthur to be quite so distressed! Discretely, Morgana pushed open the wooden door a crack so they could see into the room. What they saw would stain their memories forever. It made Morgana's heart break to see Arthur like this and Gwen felt exactly the same, her gentle heart going out to the prince.

"Get Merlin," Morgana whispered to her maid. Gwen nodded and rushed off to the physicians' chambers as fast as she could.

"Merlin? Merlin!"

Merlin could hear Gwen's shouts but did not get up to answer them. He was surprised when she didn't knock and just threw herself through the door looking very flustered.

"Oh Merlin! You have to come quick!"

"Why?" asked Merlin, not really wanting to get up. Gwen looked imploringly at him.

"Arthur needs you," she said, knowing it wouldn't go down well but she had to try. Just as she predicted, Merlin frowned and refused to move.

"No he doesn't," he growled in response. Gwen resisted the urge to knock some sense into him.

"Merlin! Listen to yourself! You know Arthur needs you. Please help. Please Merlin, I know you still feel something for him. Oh please, Merlin! He needs you. He needs you just like you need him." Something in Gwen's words made it impossible for Merlin to refuse again and, without conscious decision, he got to his feet.

"What's wrong?"

The cold metal raked across Arthur's skin and he bit back a scream. But he deserved this. He'd never be the prince or king that Camelot needed and this was his punishment. He'd let down the only person who saw him for who he really was. He'd hurt Merlin. With that thought fresh in his mind he brought the dagger back to his arm once again.

"What are you doing?!"

Arthur spun round and saw Merlin standing in the doorway, his horrified blue eyes fixed on the blood dripping from the knife in Arthur's hand. Before Arthur could say anything, Merlin sprang forwards and began to wrestle the knife from Arthur's grip, cutting himself in the process. Arthur dropped the knife and grabbed Merlin's hands.

"Merlin, I…" he started but the boy wasn't interested in the cuts on his hands. He was looking right into Arthur's glistening eyes.

"Shh," he hushed gently. "Come with me."

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Oh skills Arthur. I wonder if Merlin can knock some sense into him... x x


	8. Come with me, into the trees

Clouds swept overhead, creating a series of shapes in the sky as the sun shone down on the two boys lain on the grass in a clearing in the forest. They lay next to each other, together in silence. How long they lay there, neither of them knew but they let the silence clear the air between them before either of them were prepared to speak. Soon, the silence became too much for Merlin who could only picture the blood running down Arthur's golden skin. But the prince spoke first.

"I'm… sorry Merlin. I never meant to hurt you, you know that? It was torture. Its something I'll have to live with everyday."

Merlin wanted to say something, to say he didn't blame Arthur at all, but the prince wasn't finished and it seemed he had a lot more heart felt things to say before Merlin would be allowed to interrupt.

"I admit I tried to turn the boy in, to tell my father there had been a child practising magic in Camelot… but I couldn't do it. Every time I imagined my father sentencing the child to death I just kept seeing your face. What if you were the sorcerer and I was responsible for your death? I couldn't do it, Merlin. If my father knew how…_weak_ I was, he'd never let me become King. I allowed magic in Camelot, what type of prince does that make me?" Arthur's voice was getting coated with more and more pain and Merlin felt tears in his eyes.

"A fair one," he replied, voice thick with unshed tears. Arthur turned his head to look at Merlin who met his gaze.

"Fair?" questioned Arthur who couldn't help but allow his gaze to follow the faint line of the healing cut on Merlin's cheek.

"Yes, fair. The child wasn't doing anyone any harm, he was just playing. To sentence him to death would've been unjust. You will be a great king of Camelot, I know you will." There was so much certainty in Merlin's voice that Arthur just had to believe him. He knew that with Merlin by his side, he would be the king that Camelot wanted and needed. That was, if Merlin would still be with him. Raising his hand, he gently traced the cut on Merlin's cheek with his fingers, wishing he could just brush it away. Wishing he could take back every ounce of pain he'd ever caused Merlin, even counting the times he'd hit him too hard in training. But Merlin wasn't interested in his own pain. He caught Arthur's hand and held it carefully, looking in horror at the cuts on his arms.

"Oh, Arthur," he breathed. The bleeding had stopped now but the cuts were still there, bold as brass. Arthur didn't take his eyes off Merlin's face, still waiting to know if he was going to be alone in his journey to become king or whether he'd have his guardian angel with him. It wasn't until Merlin wiped away something under his eyes that Arthur realised he'd been crying. Princes don't cry; what would his father think?! But he wasn't with his father, he was with Merlin and that made all the difference.

"Don't hurt yourself again," pleaded Merlin, his hand still resting on Arthur's cheek. His thumb rhythmically stroking his cheekbone.

"You cant tell me…"

"Yes I can. And I will. I don't want you to hurt yourself, nothing's worth that. Nothing at all. Please, Arthur, I'm supposed to protect you but I cant if you wont let me." Merlin's deep blue eyes seemed to look right into Arthur's soul and somehow, Arthur felt completely safe in Merlin's presence, as if nothing could hurt him. Nothing at all.

Then Merlin realised he'd been stroking Arthur's face and quickly tried to withdraw his hand but Arthur caught it and held it in place, his gaze matching Merlin's in intensity. Merlin's tongue darted out over his lips and Arthur felt his eyes drawn to it before quickly looking back up at the boy's eyes.

"Are you going to stay with me?" Arthur finally asked with uncertainty in his voice. Merlin smiled.

"I'm never going to leave you," he promised. Arthur smiled his heart melting smile and wrapped his arms around Merlin, pulling him close. Merlin stayed in his arms, his head resting on Arthur's chest, listening to his heartbeat and he knew this is where he belonged.

Arthur felt a slight pressure and warmth on his chest and pushed Merlin away just enough to see his face.

"Did you just…?" he asked. Merlin looked up at him with a wary expression, unsure of how to answer. Then, slowly, the raven haired boy nodded. Carefully, Arthur sat up bringing Merlin with him until Merlin was practically sat in his lap.

"I didn't say for you to stop," he whispered. An idiotic grin appeared on Merlin's face and he cuddled close to Arthur again, this time pressing his lips to the prince's neck and feeling his pulse against his mouth. Arthur's fingers were drawing lazy patterns on Merlin's arms until Merlin's face became level with his. Their noses were almost touching. This was it. It was now or never.

_I__'m ready. So take it. _

Oh no I didnt! Hahaha. Oh I'm just tooooo evil =)

Review please, it fuels my imagination. I'm being serious. And it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Okay maybe that was taking it too far... x x

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	9. Let me see you stripped down to the bone

Again, thank you to all you lovely people who review'd. =)

No, Demon'sAngel17 [I think I got that right], I dont want you to die. And I also dont want to get blasted by a cannon. So this final chapter is yours =)

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It was as if time itself had slowed down, making this moment last an eternity. They were so close. Too close. But it still felt as if the other was too far away. Arthur brought one hand up to cup Merlin's cheek and the other curled around Merlin's waist. His breath was warm against Merlin's face but it made the wizard shiver because he wasn't ready. There was so much Arthur didn't know. It was unfair to make Arthur choose between his father and magic.

Arthur didn't miss Merlin's hesitation. For a moment, he panicked. Was Merlin having second thoughts?

"You alright?" he asked, not taking his hands away. Merlin couldn't speak. He was torn. He wanted Arthur. Jeez that was an understatement! But he was the very thing Arthur had been brought up to hate and Merlin felt that if he kissed Arthur, he'd be betraying him.

"Arthur, there's something you need to know…"

Arthur felt his heart break. _No, Merlin! _he thought. _I want you, please don't take that away. _Removing his hands, Arthur moved his head back away from Merlin's with gut-wrenching strength. The closeness had felt perfect and it hurt to move away.

"It's Gwen, isn't it?" The prince asked, bracing himself for the biggest fall he'd ever faced. But the look on Merlin's face was so comical he almost laughed. Merlin was looking at him as if he were a complete idiot, or speaking in a foreign language.

"What? Gwen? No!… No, Arthur that's not it. That's not it at all!" he exclaimed, surprised by Arthur's idiocy. Arthur fixed him with an inquisitive stare.

"Then what is it?" His voice echoed his pain at the fact Merlin was taking himself away from him. It was clear that Arthur just wanted the boy back in his arms and that made the truth even harder for Merlin to tell.

"Just… say you wont hurt me."

"What?" Arthur swore Merlin had hit his head on something.

"Well… I haven't hurt you so technically I haven't done anything wrong…" babbled Merlin, loosing coherency with every word.

"Merlin. Tell me what you need to say," said Arthur, a small amount of his Prince's Authority worked its way into his tone. Merlin looked into the sapphire eyes of the man he'd really come to appreciate and swallowed hard. He had to shut his eyes.

"I'm a sorcerer."

Merlin waited for the blow. He waited for the shouting or the sound of Arthur running away from him.

But he heard nothing.

Arthur hadn't moved and the blow never came.

Confused, Merlin opened his eyes only to be knocked to the ground with Arthur leaning over him, their noses touching once again. Arthur grinned at the confusion on Merlin's face.

"You _idiot_, Merlin!" he teased and Merlin felt the laugh vibrate through Arthur's body.

"Huh?" was the only sound Merlin could make and it had Arthur laughing again.

"Merlin, I wouldn't care if you were a werewolf." And that was when his lips brushed against Merlin's and the moment was finally completed.

Not fully understanding what had just happened, but not particularly caring either, Merlin parted his lips under Arthur's and breathed in the prince's warm breath. Arthur's tongue explored Merlin's hot mouth and caused the sorcerer to moan. Their bodies pressed together, tangled together, moving together. Something that Merlin had believed impossible. Not that he was complaining of course. He lifted his hips off the ground and Arthur moaned into his mouth. The prince of Camelot had metaphorically stripped right down to the bone in front of him, showing his true colours and had even accepted him for being a sorcerer. Merlin tried to commit the moment to memory but his thoughts were interrupted by Arthur's impatient hands.

And then they did away with the metaphor altogether.

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Not bad for my first try, eh? What did you think?

If you have any ideas for another story I shall be happy to give them a go. I do love working with this couple! AND Merlin is back on BBC very very soon! If they dont continue with the slash I will cry. Please dont make me hate Gwen =( x x


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